4.12.15 Shanghai opshopping

Meg Crozier's friend lives in Shanghai and told us about this place - Anxi Clothing Market. It's like a little mall, well market I guess, of great vintage stores. We didn't see many other people shopping there but we did see one group of young trendy-looking people trying stuff on. Maybe there is hope for the future of second-hand clothing in China...

22.11.15 Xi'an opshopping

My partner, Eva (AKA Shin Tian Tian) took us on a trip to some vintage stores in Xi'an. I think visiting these stores is the only way to buy second-hand clothing in China - they don't have websites like TradeMe or businesses like Recycle Boutique - and most people don't even know that these stores exist. 

As a New Zealander looking at Chinese culture, I think all of the superstitions and taboos around second-hand clothing is really interesting - such as their belief that garments hold the soul of the previous owner etc. but these beliefs are seriously frustrating from a sustainable fashion viewpoint because they encourage an unsustainable and toxic fashion system. 

I want to look at other aspects of Chinese culture and see how I can "sell" the idea of second-hand clothing to Chinese consumers.
 

Film sequence guide from Max Schleser's presentation

Useful for the presentations, videos and zines that we’ll be making

11.11.15 Recycling Centre visit

Visiting the Recycling Centre reminded me of the book, Owls Do Cry by Janet Frame, because the beginning is about some siblings who go to the rubbish dump to find treasures. It was cool to see how much we recycle in NZ and interesting to hear that it's an independent business that collects, sorts and bails our recycling and other companies buy the sorted materials to make them into new things.

I get really annoyed when I see recyclables in peoples' rubbish bags since it's so easy to recycle so maybe more people need to know how the recycling industry works to inspire them to stop being lazy with their waste-production.

11.11.15 Rembrandt's visit

After Earthlink, we visited the Rembrandt factory. It was pretty amazing to see how much work goes into making a suit jacket and it made me appreciate the effort and skill that goes into making our clothing. I think it's sad that we take things for granted but understand that it's because we don't know what went into making them. I think it'd be good to have a more transparent system where we see who and how our clothes are made so that we can better appreciate them. I think this could create a stronger attachment between us and our clothing so that we buy more thoughtfully and hang onto things longer, creating less waste.

11.11.15 Earthlink visit

In the morning, we visited Earthlink and saw how they upcycle waste. It's so cool that they give people who have had mental illnesses or other obstacles in their lives opportunities to learn and participate in society. And of course it's great that they're addressing the issue of textile and other waste in constructive ways and making a business out of it.

Artist model: Natalie Thomson

Artist model: Natalie Thomson

I used to work with Nat at Sweet Mother's. I love her travel photos and hope to make similar ones of my trip in China. I like that they're natural and quiet and happy.

Photos retrieved from Nat's blog: http://natalieethomson.tumblr.com/